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Rio Ferdinand Defends Dubai Move With Critique of UK Taxes and Services

The former England defender says taxpayers are not getting value, citing a struggling NHS.

Overview

  • Ferdinand relocated to Dubai in August 2025 with his wife Kate and their five children after leaving his TNT Sports punditry role.
  • In an LBC interview, he questioned how taxes are spent and said people would be more willing to pay if the health service were performing well.
  • His move came shortly before Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s autumn Budget that introduced about £40 billion in tax rises targeting businesses and wealthier households.
  • He said the relocation lets him spend more time with his family and praised the education approach available to his children in the UAE.
  • At the One Young World Summit in Munich, he argued his Rio Ferdinand Foundation is doing work he believes should fall to government.